INAI Asks SEMARNAT to Disclose Mayan Train’s Reforestation Plan

The National Institute for Information Access and Personal Data Protection (INA) ordered the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) to disclose the details of the Mayan Train’s reforestation program, arguing that the project might affect the ecosystem of the five states it will cross.

The petition comes after INAI analyzed a revision petition from a citizen who argued that the information provided was not sufficient, leading to the institute taking action. “It is of the utmost importance to review this information because we need to know if the environment or the locals will be affected by the project. [The construction] must be always carried out considering sustainability and the lives of these communities,” said Norma del Río, Commissioner, INAI. 

INAI justified its petition by arguing that SEMARNAT delivered the documentation too late and refused to deliver the complete document, as the environment ministry said that the 61-page document could not be delivered through the National Transparency Portal (PNT). Therefore, it offered to hand it in via copies and sent links to consultation information regarding Sections 4 and 5. 

According to INAI, SEMARNAT did comply with transparency regulations, but the information provided was insufficient. In addition, INAI officers encountered two reports called “SEMARTNAT Details Reforestation Plan for Mayan Train’s Route” and “SEMARNAT Reveals Environmental Measures for the Mayan Train’s Route,” which provide details regarding environmental action taken by the ministry, as well as a SEMARNAT’s press release where it reports an agreement signed by SEMARNAT and the Ministries of Wellbeing and Agriculture to consolidate the Sembrando Vida Program and preserve natural areas around the Mayan Train. 

INAI considered that SEMARNAT violated the right to access information. The institute added that the ministry had no basis to abandon the document delivery beyond the document’s size. “In conclusion, the obligated party did not provide an answer to the information access request within the deadline set by the law. Therefore, the claim made is well-founded,” del Río concluded. 

The Mayan Train is perhaps the most controversial of López Obrador’s key infrastructure projects because of how its development has been pushed forward. In May 2022, María Albores, Minister of Environment, stated that the project might require cutting down over 300,000 trees along the train’s route.